Mao: The Unknown Story

Jung Chang and Jon Halliday talked about their book Mao: The Unknown Story, published by Knopf. Their biography attempted to dispel myths about Mao Tse-tung perpetuated by the Communist Party The book explored the history of 20th century China as well as the life of former Chinese premier Mao Tse-tung. The authors wrote that Mao’s rise to power and his communist strategy had less to do with personal ideology than with political ambition and with his being at the right place at the right time. They also examined his personal friendship with former Soviet leader Josef Stalin, a relationship that dated back to the 1920s. The book is the result of five years of research and included interviews with each living American president who had interacted with Mao.

Michael Ignatieff interviewed the authors about their biography of Mao and the past and current human rights situation in China. Following their discussion, the authors responded to questions and comments from members of the aud close